Are robots all too human?

As their numbers increase, people may see them as a threat

Published 8:55 pm, Friday, September 1, 2017

Robots are populating our cultural landscape with engineers building them to converse, engage in commerce and perform dangerous tasks.

Two divergent views on robots reflect questions about humanity's uniqueness in the universe. People may see them as a threat, especially as some become increasingly humanlike.

A phenomenon, called "the uncanny valley," proposed in 1970 by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori, says the more humanlike something is, the more comfortable we feel with it. But this comfort level suddenly dips when the object closely resembles a human.

"They contain both life and the appearance of life," said Karl MacDorman, associate professor in the human-computer interaction program of Indiana University. "It reminds us that at some point, we could be inanimate after death."

The idea that robots may have a consciousness and become indistinguishable from humans disturbs some people. The possibility that humans are not unique opens up questions about the nature of humanity.

Philosophers such as Daniel Dennett describe humans as nothing but complicated robots made of flesh.

But Jews, Christians and Muslims believe humans are made in God's image, the apex of God's created order.

People from cultures that attach spiritual significance to trees or stones may have an easier time with robots. MacDorman points out that Japanese society, which is both Shinto and Buddhist, has a general tendency to be more accepting of robots.

Robots interact with customers in department stores, and engineers have built them as companions for families and the elderly.

But the fact is that they can be almost humanlike and may be manipulated in more malicious ways. Setting limits for robots and drawing the line between humans and machines has increasingly become relevant in government meetings.